Those of us who live in the east are will likely always be interested in the western story if for no other reason of the saying Go West Young Man. Many people have moved from the east to the west for economic activity or jobs. In the 1800’s the mythical western was still a possibility with a horse and the wide open spaces of the west. One of the many books about the west is the Western Story – Fact, Fiction and Myth by Philip Durham and Everett L Jones published by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Inc, NY 1975. Most of us have watched movies of the west or TV series and some of it appeals to us. In reality, people were trying to make a living and the work was tough work, but it was outdoors and the results were what the individual made of it. That theme appeals to many of us and we still see advertisers advertising their products with the theme. The elements of good gambling, hearty competition, and making a success by surviving the elements and relying on good people makes westerns a continuing interest.

Linking to dividend paying stocks, in the west there was and is greater opportunity because there fewer families control the economic environment. In many eastern cities the ruling or highly influenced group tend to limit others and try to control the direction of the city. Sometimes the families do a great job, other times not so well. To even up the odds, you need to play the same game which includes continually receiving income from your investments. This is where the dividends are very helpful. If the company is profitable, you will receive quarterly income and have the potential for capital gains. Over the course of a number of years, the holding becomes bigger and you will have more financial flexibility in your life. You may or not be as rich as the controlling families, but there are many opportunities for a good life in the east as well as the west.

There are more questions than answers, till the next time – to raising questions